The Circular Staircase

It was a desire to bring her family together that persuaded Rachel Innes, a wealthy spinster aunt, to leave her New York home and move to the country for the summer. But the anticipated weeks of rest and tranquility never materialise, for behind the vast and elegant facade of the rented house lies a tangle of hidden jealousies, greed and financial scandal.

Whose is the body found at the foot of the st airs and how did it get there? Who is the woman with the hideously scarred face and what is her connection with a small, abandoned boy? Rachel Innes confronts a living nightmare in this crackling chiller from America's first lady of mystery.